Hello all!
My brand new (to me) tr4 (CT 393621) has been flatbedded to the garage- it
is so beautiful!
Unfortunately, while the outside is a 9 out of 10, the mechanicals are
probably a 6...(though it was a steal at $6,500 with a ton of parts, two
tops, etc...Brian- i decided to pay the guy the whole amount, as it was more
fair)...running well, but leaking oil.
BUT, upon arrival at the mechanics (plug and sprocket, english mechanic in
boston), we discovered that what I had thought was a leaking timing cover
gasket is actually a leaking front crankshaft seal, caused by what appears
to be an offset/bent bit up front (keep reading)...this mechanic seems good,
but I wanted to discuss the options/diagnosis with everyone, get your
inputs-
The symptoms-
Initially- car is leaking alot of oil from front near crankshaft exit
On further looking- The removable front unit that attaches to the crankshaft
is clearly sitting aysmmetrically at the seal, leaving an open bit- we took
out the whole "fan extension and pulley hub to crankshaft" (part #320-100
and everything attached to it)..if you look at the surface that mates with
the seal, you can clearly see that one side has worn, the other is
not...additionally, the "fan hub extension" (part 837-530) has clearly been
hitting the rack and pinion only in one place (further indicating that it is
off-center...one would assume that it would be worn in a complete ring,
rather than in a "half ring" if it was hitting it aysmmetrically).
This has clearly been a problem for a while b/c a) the seal surface has been
replaced by the PO and b) there is another spot that was worn down on the
fan hub extension in the exact same way that was repainted (by PO during the
last engine rebuild- showing that he rebuilt engine but did not fix this
problem...odd)
The initial diagnosis-
Best case- fan extension + pulley hub to crankshaft (part 320 100) is bent,
and needs replacing. $8.95, no engine removal.
Worst case- crankshaft is bent and needs regrinding/replacing. $900, plus
engine removal
Mechanic is looking at cranshaft where it sticks out to see which may be the
case.
Questions
--What do people think of this diagnosis? I looked at all this myself with
the mechanic, and it makes sense to me...are we missing something though?
--Any fixes for a bent crankshaft that dont cost so much? Any sources for
reground vintage crankshafts, rather than buying a whole "new" one from TRF,
etc?
--Any fix to make the front seal work with the bent crankshaft, so I can
drive with bent crankshaft, rather than replacing it?
--If i have to have engine ripped apart to replace/regrind crankshaft, do I
pay the mechanic for the labor, or do it myself? THis sounds REALLY hard-
is it? I am new to auto tinkering, and was hoping to start a lot simpler
than this...replacing generator, door seals, etc.
--Any cool/useful upgrades/rebuilds/replacements to make while engine is in
pieces replacing crankshaft?
Psyched to have car, bummed that it may need surgery, rather than just
waxing... :-( and :-)
Thanks all!
Noah
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